Dominique Ebanks has been one of the premier disc jockeys in the Cayman Islands since the art form came to prominence in the late 1980s and early 90s.

It was a time when 45 inch vinyl records ruled the world of reggae and the hottest clubs on the strip/West Bay Road were Island Rock and Rum Heads. The Next Level, where Jet is today, was a Chinese restaurant called Pagoda.

“I got started playing at family events using cassettes, tape recorders and even old eight track machines,” recalls the DJ. “Since I left school in 1990, this has always been a hobby with benefits for me.”

The DJ says that when he started “playing out” he was usually the intermission music for bands, but as the ensembles began to disappear for various reasons, DJs began to take on a more prominent role in Caymanian night life. He says that now, with the resurgence of bands and live music, it was a pleasure to see that DJs and bands were still coexisting as once before and even collaborating, which has been now made possible because of technology.

“I sometimes can work with a vocalist and or a percussionist now, and I am not at all restricted, as a result of where the engineering and design of the basic tools has evolved to,” says Dominique.

The DJ says what is great about Cayman is that the effect the music you are playing is having on others can be observed more readily.

“You can know someone from seeing them around and have one impression of them, but they are under the trance of something that you are playing and acting another way, you realise the true power of music. That is what I love about being a DJ,” he philosophises. 

These days DJ Dominique does the odd club gig but says he is more interested in corporate work and private functions at the moment.

His reasons: “I would like to see the DJs on the Island working together more closely and coming to a consensus about their worth; until then, I am doing more of the kind of gigs that allow me to go the extra mile without feeling a little cheated.”

Consequently, Dominique has joined the ranks of the DJ Sub Committee of the Cayman Music and Entertainment Association, where he says he hopes his years of experience in the industry and the knowledge he has gained, can help to serve other DJs and help to create a higher standard for all.

“The biggest struggle now is for musicians to earn what they are worth, as well as to convey to venues the importance of paying attention to detail and considering the entertainers who may contribute to their business one day by providing adequacy in their installations and plans,” he says.

Dominique says music has served him well in his life and he would like to see the next generation of DJs have the same kind of opportunities he did. That is why in addition to his duties as a father, full-time employee and entertainer, he says he feels a great calling to contribute and help to shape the future of his favourite pastime.   WH

“You can know someone from seeing them around and have one impression of them, but they are under the trance of something that you are playing and acting another way, you realise the true power of music.”